When the girl’s eyes met his, she calmed visibly, and nodded in return as she made her way over and delicately took a seat.
In a warm, compassionate tone of voice, Vlishgnath spoke. “What is it you have to tell us, miss?”
The girl looked around the table.
Grisbane nodded approvingly. Thunderclese smiled warmly, and reached out to take her hand, rubbing it soothingly. Maximus didn’t make things any better simply by being there, but eventually the girl spoke in a soft, musical voice.
“M-my brother went to ask the LeFay’s about what was happening...must have been almost a month ago. He never came back.”
“The baron and his people knew this was happening that long ago?” said Vlishgnath.
The girl nodded. “Jonathan...that is, Baron LeFay...he forbid us from leaving town to get help. When the priest you sent from Ascention threatened to notify High Priest Vogoth if the Baron continued to do nothing, he disappeared that same night just like my brother. And...” The girl paused, faltering on her words.
Thunderclese leaned in, speaking in a smooth tone and gently caressing the side of her face, chasing a stray hair back into position with the tip of his finger. “It’s alright, miss...go on.”
Grisbane rolled his eyes, but Thunderclese’s charms worked, and the girl continued.
“People have been disappearing. More and more every day. Those that made it back from the LeFay mansion said they’d heard strange noises inside. I’m not one for treason, but...well, the talk around town is...”
Vlishgnath nodded his head. “It’s alright. Thank you, miss. Go be with your family.”
Thunderclese rose from his chair, offering his arm. “Come with me. I’ll take you.”
The girl took his arm, even pressing in against the blonde paladin a bit, and he led her off.
Grisbane took Thunderclese’s seat, and Vlishgnath reclaimed his. They looked across at each other for a moment before Vlishgnath spoke.
“I think I’d like to pay a visit to the Baron LeFay. What do we know of him and his family?”
Grisbane grinned slightly. “Baron Jonathan LeFay and his wife Abigail reside with their six children.”
“Six?!” Vlishgnath’s eyes widened.
Grisbane nodded. “Indeed. Their mansion is east of here, about a quarter of a day’s ride into the countryside. As I said, I had intended to make contact but I simply didn’t have the man power.”
Vlishgnath nodded in understanding. “I’d like to bring Thunderclese with me if you don’t mind.”
Grisbane chuckled heartily. “As if I were in a position to say no to you! Take him, he’s yours.”
Vlishgnath smiled widely and motioned towards Maximus with a point of his thumb. “I’ll bring Maximus as well. So he’s not scaring your villagers.”
“Hah! Going in strong, are we? You’ll hear no objection from me. Just make sure you let Thunderclese know he’s going with you, otherwise he’ll wear himself out claiming that young girl’s virtue this evening.”
“I’ll be sure to say something to him,” smirked Vlishgnath. “Euronymus should be able to help you hold things down while we’re gone, assuming he recovers well enough.”
“No need to worry about us. If you took care of the creatures outside, I imagine we’ll be alright while you’re gone. Doesn’t mean I’m letting anyone leave the church, though.”
“That’s probably best. We’ll leave at sunrise tomorrow morning.” Vlishgnath paused and then inquired, “Were the provisions in the cart adequate?”
“More than adequate.”
Grisbane grinned, and Vlishgnath smiled back before standing and heading off to inform Thunderclese of the plan.
Left seated across from Maximus, Grisbane stared at the large man for several moments before addressing him. “I don’t suppose you’re too thrilled with the idea, are you?”
Maximus reached over, grasping Judgment by the handle upside down. With one definitive movement, he brought the point of the sword down into the floor, planting it firmly in the stone so that it could stand rigid on its own. “Of course I am. I love going on visits.”
Grisbane half choked, half laughed, his voice sounding a bit weak when he replied. “I’ll bet you do.”
Episode 5
As the three of them arrived at the gates to the LeFay mansion property, Vlishgnath and Thunderclese dismounted from their horses while Maximus stomped down from his cart. Thunderclese and Maximus took a moment to hitch their animals to one of the iron bars comprising the fence.
Vlishgnath leaned in and spoke to Aramus. “Wait here for me, old friend, and watch after the horses.”
The silver steed turned, slowly meandered over to where the horses were hitched, and stood perfectly still while it purveyed the area with its glowing red eyes.
As they approached the gate’s opening, they beheld a peculiar sight. An iron bar, nearly as thick as a grown man’s wrist, had been bent and spiraled around the two bars where the gate doors met, binding them together.
Vlishgnath studied it for a moment, then spoke to Maximus without looking away from the obstacle laid before him. “Looks like you’re up, Maximus.”
Maximus chuckled darkly and stepped up to the gate, grabbing a hold of the thick iron bar and wrenching at it with all his might. Slowly but surely, he began to untangle the iron bar from the gates, but the process was strenuous and forced even the mighty Maximus to curse and growl from time to time.
Thunderclese shook his head. “What could have possibly done this? Maximus is practically destroying the iron in the process, but this is done with the same grace and ease as a mother weaves a ribbon into her daughter’s hair.”
“I’m not sure,” replied Vlishgnath, “but let’s check the perimeter of the house while Maximus opens the gates. We’ll be back, Maximus.”
Maximus’ response came in the form of another frustrated growl as he twisted another bit of the iron away from the gates.
As the two began to circle around the house, they spotted a number of odd things. Several windows were boarded up completely, and the ones that weren’t had thick, red velvet curtains drawn shut. The gardens, which once likely contained a number of ingenious shrub sculptures and exotic flowers, now lay uncared for, some of the plant life decaying while other shrubs and such grew wildly out of control. The wall that surrounded the entire building had only the one entrance from the front, although at several points the brickwork dropped in height so that outsiders could admire what was once a beautiful garden area through the iron fencing. The house itself had begun to deteriorate, parts of the rooftop looking to have fallen to the ground, and some of the shutters hanging from one hinge.
Vlishgnath and Thunderclese spotted a cellar door at the back of the house that had been heavily boarded shut. “Now what would possess them to do such a thing?” Thunderclese mused aloud.
“I honestly can’t say, but they’ve boarded it over from the inside as well as outside,” said Vlishgnath. “See how the nails are jutting out between the boards?”
“I’m starting to wish I’d stayed back at the church with that nice village girl.”
Vlishgnath grinned. “Think of the stories you’ll be able to tell.”
Begrudgingly, Thunderclese nodded in agreement.
By the time they made their way back around to the front of the house, Maximus was about